Thursday, October 31, 2013

The Tableaux of Life Unfolds Before My Mask

Hmm, the mask and all its uses remind me that the number of
costumed festivals has dwindled to Halloween and the pre-Lenten festivities.Even by the eighteenth-century the sets
and costumes that Inigo Jones created for the masques of Charles I were
gone, although that being said, one of the last great masques occurred in the
middle Georgian period and left us with the song Rule Britannia.The
mask certainly remains in use to the present day, but it would seem that the 18th
century used it most effectively for both the masquerade and evening
festivities at the pleasure gardens of Europe.If life is a theatrical experience, then anonymity has its
uses.

It has been remarked that during the Georgian period members of
society understood the theatrical nature of their lives. Certainly in an age
delineated by patronage all members of society needed to understand their role
and how it must be acted. Today we all network to enhance our positions, but at
some level we believe that our talents will carry the day, at least some of us
believe this.However, in a world
controlled by patronage the rules are more sharply defined, or at least the
consequences of one’s actions are more sharply defined.You may well ask, “What does this have
to do with fashion?” It has to do with expectations.We need to reflect that what is odd to us was not as odd to
the Georgians, particularly if we view some of the fashions not only as trends
but as costume, meant to create a an impression regardless of the opinion. An actor, whether professional or
amateur, uses costumes to establish or disregard convention.The image at the top of the blog is
that of the 18th century castrato Carlo Scalzi, and while it is
over-the-top as everyday wear, it is in fact merely an extension of prevailing
fashions of the 1730s with flared coat skirts.The mask on the table while flamboyant would hardly have
been out of place at a masked event at Vauxhall or Versailles.

As Halloween approaches a new book on
fêtes, Magnificent Entertainments,
Temporary Architecture for Georgian Festivals, by Melanie Doderer-Winkler, is
due in the stores and perhaps I shall see a copy under the tree at
Christmas.

Jeffrey Hopper is an editor, author and museum professional who blogs about men's wear and related topics. You can reach him at this site.